01523 ZIP Code — Lancaster, MA

Worcester County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 01523 is located in Lancaster, Massachusetts, within Worcester County. It covers approximately 27.43 square miles and serves a population of 8,395 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 978.

About ZIP code 01523

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $398,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $111,506. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 30% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 33% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 51% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 01523 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,395

population

27.43

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

01523 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 01523

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 01523. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lancaster	Acceptable
Lancaster	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

01740 Bolton (4 mi) 01510 Clinton (4.2 mi) 01451 Harvard (4.7 mi) 01434 Devens (5.2 mi) 01564 Sterling (6 mi) 01503 Berlin (6.4 mi) 01453 Leominster (6.4 mi) 01464 Shirley (7.5 mi) 01719 Boxborough (7.8 mi) 01432 Ayer (8 mi) 01462 Lunenburg (8.4 mi) 01505 Boylston (8.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	8,395
Population density	306 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	27.43 sq mi
Water area	0.53 sq mi
Latitude	42.4721
Longitude	-71.6676
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	978

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.2%	33.6%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	30.9%	27.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	39.3%	28.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	10.6%	10.3%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

8,395

Population

306

People per sq mi

42.0

Median age

$111,506

Median household income

$47,608

Per capita income

$398,200

Median home value

$1,816

Median monthly rent

82.5%

Home ownership

3.1%

Poverty rate

9.9%

Unemployment

2,480

Housing units

51.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

198

Under 5

171

207

5–9

178

208

10–14

179

319

15–19

275

252

20–24

217

676

25–34

583

560

35–44

483

554

45–54

477

378

55–59

326

342

60–64

294

417

65–74

360

349

75–84

300

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,489	17.7%
18 and over	6,906	82.3%
65 and over	1,518	18.1%
Median age	42.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.9%

Hispanic or Latino 4.4%

Two or more races 4.3%

Black or African American 3.8%

Other race 1.7%

Asian 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,454	84.9%
Hispanic or Latino	383	4.4%
Two or more races	381	4.3%
Black or African American	336	3.8%
Other race	150	1.7%
Asian	61	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.2%	33.6%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	30.9%	27.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	39.3%	28.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	10.6%	10.3%	14.3%

Under $10k 4.8%

$10k–$15k 0.5%

$15k–$25k 2.4%

$25k–$35k 2.8%

$35k–$50k 4.2%

$50k–$75k 14.9%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 20.9%

$150k–$200k 18.0%

$200k+ 18.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.8%
$10k–$15k	0.5%
$15k–$25k	2.4%
$25k–$35k	2.8%
$35k–$50k	4.2%
$50k–$75k	14.9%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	20.9%
$150k–$200k	18.0%
$200k+	18.1%
Median income	$111,506

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.9%

$150k–$200k 1.7%

$200k–$300k 12.7%

$300k–$500k 45.7%

$500k–$1M 33.8%

$1M+ 3.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$398,200
Median rent / month	$1,816
Owner occupied	82.5%
Renter occupied	17.5%
Vacant	0.7%
Single-family detached	81.3%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.50

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	16.8%
1990–1999	10.1%
1980–1989	7.3%
1970–1979	7.0%
1960–1969	13.4%
1950–1959	6.8%
1940–1949	11.5%
1939 or earlier	22.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.9%
1 bedroom	9.0%
2 bedrooms	14.5%
3 bedrooms	47.8%
4 bedrooms	21.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.2%
1 vehicle	32.9%
2 vehicles	35.1%
3 or more	27.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.0%
Electricity	13.7%
Propane / LP gas	12.7%
Fuel oil	60.0%
Wood	2.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,625	54.5%
Cohabiting couple	167	5.6%
Male householder, no spouse	341	11.4%
Female householder, no spouse	848	28.4%
Households with children under 18	927	31.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,076	36.1%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	44.8%	24.1%
Married	42.0%	52.9%
Separated	1.2%	1.3%
Widowed	0.7%	11.7%
Divorced	11.3%	9.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 21.8%

Some college, no degree 15.3%

Associate's degree 5.4%

Bachelor's degree 33.4%

Graduate / professional 17.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.7%
Bachelor's or higher	51.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	87	4.9%
Kindergarten	18	1.0%
Elementary school	657	36.7%
High school	665	37.1%
College / grad school	365	20.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.4%

Professional & management 13.7%

Manufacturing 13.4%

Retail trade 10.5%

Wholesale trade 8.7%

Construction 7.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.9%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Information 3.2%

Other services 3.0%

Public administration 2.6%

Transportation & utilities 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	57.6%
Service	7.4%
Sales & office	16.7%
Natural resources & construction	7.0%
Production & transportation	11.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.9%
Government	9.0%
Self-employed	5.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	56.8%
Carpool	2.3%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	32.9%
Other means	5.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.5

Poverty

All people 3.1%

Under 18 years 3.2%

18 and over 3.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 13.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.4%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.0%
High blood pressure	26.6%
High cholesterol	29.1%
Diabetes	7.3%
Heart disease	4.9%
Stroke	2.2%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	23.6%
Kidney disease	2.2%
Pulmonary disease	4.9%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.5%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	19.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.3%
Depression	18.1%
Fair or poor health	9.9%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	7.8%
No health insurance	7.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	74.1%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	11.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	331	4.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.7%
Under 18	7.5%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	26.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	82.8%
Public insurance	31.7%
No insurance	2.0%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,026	95.6%
Spanish	235	2.9%
Other Indo-European	187	2.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	39	0.5%
Other languages	9	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,825	93.2%
Born in same state	7,712	91.9%
Born in different state	6,659	79.3%
Foreign born	113	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	570	6.8%
Not a US citizen	419	73.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,089	13%
French	1,038	12.4%
Arab	474	5.6%
German	293	3.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	90	1.1%
Dutch	78	0.9%
English	13	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.5%
Internet access	96.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 01523

What city is ZIP code 01523 in?

ZIP code 01523 is primarily assigned to Lancaster, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 01523 in?

ZIP code 01523 falls within Worcester County, Massachusetts.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 01523?

51% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 01523 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 01523 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 01523?

The median home value in ZIP code 01523 is $398,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 01523?

The median household income in ZIP code 01523 is $111,506, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 01523 in?

ZIP code 01523 observes the EST timezone.